Collins Secures Tariff Exemptions for Packaging
Nine categories of Canadian packaging and machinery imports are now exempt from U.S. tariffs, benefiting Maine growers.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in International Trade
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Senator Susan Collins announced on October 23 that the U.S. has exempted nine categories of Canadian imports from tariffs, including plastic boxes, crates, packing bags, and packing and wrapping machinery. The move follows discussions with the Trump administration and affects packaging materials rather than agricultural commodities.
Why it matters
Maine accounts for nearly 100 per cent of the U.S. wild blueberry crop, and growers rely on specialized harvesting boxes imported from Canada. The exemptions address a supply gap created after a domestic supplier discontinued certain cardboard totes used by agricultural businesses.
The exemptions cover nine categories of Canadian imports, announced by Senator Susan Collins on October 23. The stub does not indicate the dollar value of affected trade or how long the exemptions will remain in effect.
The players
Susan Collins
Susan Collins is the senior U.S. Senator from Maine, a Republican who has served in the Senate since 1997 and is known for representing the state's agricultural and fishing interests.
The details
The exemptions cover plastic boxes, cases, crates, packing bags, sacks, and packing and wrapping machinery used by Maine's potato, apple, and seaweed sectors as well as wild blueberry growers. Some packaging materials cannot be replaced affordably with U.S. alternatives, making the tariff relief significant for these producers.
Timeline
October 23: Senator Susan Collins announces the tariff exemptions for nine categories of Canadian imports.
Market Dynamics
The exemptions carve out specific relief from the broader U.S. tariff regime on Canadian goods, targeting packaging inputs that producers cannot easily source domestically. Because the relief applies to packaging materials rather than agricultural commodities, it reshapes input costs for Maine's specialty crop sectors rather than the prices of the crops themselves.
Maine growers who rely on imported Canadian harvesting boxes and packing equipment may see lower input costs as a result of the exemptions. Producers facing shortages of domestic cardboard totes gain access to a continued supply of specialized packaging.
The takeaway
Trade policy can reach beyond headline commodities into the packaging and equipment that agricultural producers depend on to get their products to market. For Maine's growers, input supply chains can matter as much as tariff rates on the crops themselves.
Further reading
Explore more International Trade coverage affecting Maine's agricultural producers.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Horti Daily.
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